Hospitality, Social Care and Construction continue to face staff shortages in the UK. At the same time, migrants with the right to work in the UK are often economically inactive or unemployed – around 736,800 adults of working age. Language skills are often the cause of this inactivity, and demand for language training outstrips supply by a ratio of 7:1. Klik2learn aims to address this imbalance and create pathways into employment by providing innovative language learning solutions, partnering with the Department for Work and Pensions, FE, employers, recruitment advisors and local government.
This project will build on Klik2learn’s current language platform to offer employability skills and sector-specific training in hospitality, social care and construction for asylum seekers and refugees with limited English. It will create tailored language courses, immersive interview simulations, and 3D workplace scenarios with AI-enabled feedback on vital communication skills. Working with City & Guilds, the project will develop short online courses in these sectors, mapped to entry level qualifications. In partnership with the National Skills Academy, learners will reflect on their skills and aptitude for roles in these sectors and gain insights into what employers are looking for.
Kilk2Learn has already worked on a pilot with 100 learners in partnership with Glasgow Life, a charity focused on enriching the lives of residents and visitors through accessible opportunities. They have 7,000 refugees on their waiting list for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). This project has the potential to create a step-change in how refugees are supported into work, how employers can fill vacancies and add diversity to their workforce and how vocational language skills are taught, providing a clear pathway into employment in high-demand sectors.